Glasgow is THE place to be in the last two weeks of January. Sure, the weather’s terrible – but it’s not all that great here on the Mendocino Coast, either! And for once the 8-hour time differential works in our favor. A typical Celtic Connections day begins around 10 AM, when we arise for coffee and porridge. Walk around town, or take a train ride (Stirling, Edinburgh, Loch Lomond are all less than an hour by train), enjoy the world-class museums (the weather’s fine indoors) and the world-class food (seriously!). In the afternoon when you begin to drag a bit, pop into a pub (smoke-free!) and enjoy a dram of magnificent Scottish whisky. Then plan where you’ll enjoy supper before heading off to a show. The hardest part is selecting which one – there are sometimes six or seven events going on at once! And after the concert ends, the fun is just getting started. Refresh yourself with more whisky and maybe another bite of food, then head over to the Central Hotel for the Festival Club, where the music carries on until the wee hours of the morning. (This is where the jet lag helps – you’ll be wide-awake at midnight anyway!) Stagger back to your room and catch a few hours of sleep, then repeat the whole procedure.

That’s how we did it in 2007, anyway. Nearly three weeks of the greatest music, the friendliest people, the best food, great scenery, great museums… we loved almost every minute. I hope we can go again – and I hope some other Oak & Thorn listeners can, too!

We had a fantastic Pledge Drive show – lots of fun, and great listener response. Total funds raised exceeded our goal and everybody had a great time. Thanks to everyone who pledged, by phone or Internet – you make this program happen!

Artist -Title – Album

Dougie MacLean – The Gael – The Search

Paddy Keenan and Tommy O’Sulllivan – Jigs: – The Long Grazing Acre

Planxty – The Jolly Beggar – Planxty

The Bothy Band – A Jig and Five Reels – Live (from the Green Linnet Twentieth Anniversary Collection)

[Pitch break – Paddy Keenan – “Mendocino County is fortunate…”]

[pitch break – Jim Malcolm – “Travelling Singer-songwriters…”]

Old Blind Dogs – Tae the Beggin’ I will Go – The World’s Room

Old Blind Dogs – Jigs – Four on the Floor

[Pitch break – Johnnie Hardie – “Would you have heard of me?”}

Tannahill Weavers – Up In the Mornin’s No’ For Me – Arnish Light

[Pitch break – Roy Gullane – Up in the mornin’]

[Pitch break – David Brewer – How I became a Celtic musician]

Molly’s Revenge – The Northern Shore – The Western Shore

Daimh – Oran a Mhagarine – Crossing Point

Slide – Spry Slides – OverNeath

[Pitch break – Eamonn deBarra – “asking you to support”]

[Daire Bracken – gives phone numbers (in Irish and English)]

10:00

[Martin Hayes – “asking you to support]

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill – The Old Bush/The Reel with the Burl – The Lonesome Touch

Solas – Seven Curses – For Love and Laughter

[Pitch break – Martin Hayes “support Community Radio”]

Tannahill Weavers – The Atholl Gathering – Live & In Session

Tannahill Weavers – The Geese in the Bog/The Jig of Slurs – The Tannhill Weavers